📌 “Crackpot” Bitcoin Theories, Spankchain, and ‘SIM Swap’ Crypto Hacks

MUST READS

Bitcoin Booster Tim Draper Has Some “Crackpot” Theories. Perhaps You Should Listen

Tim Draper has some bold ideas. Like splitting California into three separate states… thinking Bitcoin will reach $250,000 by 2022… or like back in 2014, predicting Bitcoin would hit $10,000 in three years time (when Bitcoin was only worth $413).

So maybe Draper’s ideas aren’t that crazy. He was an early investor in Skype and Tesla, two companies that—regardless of Elon Musk’s regular Twitter gaffes—are alive and influential today. “The future’s gonna be awesome.” Maybe he’s right.

[NSFW] Spankchain: An Adult Entertainment Ecosystem Built on the Ethereum network.

Whatever your thoughts are regarding SpankChain and the Adult Entertainment industry in general, it’s worth moving past it to appreciate a team that’s building something that they truly believe in.

(This is something we cannot say about every crypto project.)

🎁 Another Giveaway: Circle Invest to Reward Customers with Free Crypto Assets

Here’s how it works:

📱Download Circle Invest (iOS and Android)
💰 Make your first investment
💬 Tweet about it
🎁 Sit back and wait for your free crypto asset (it could be a Bitcoin)

Protect Ya Neck: Victims Sue AT&T, T-Mobile Over ‘SIM Swap’ Crypto Hacks

A cryptocurrency-focused law firm based in the U.S., says it has filed arbitration claims against AT&T and T-Mobile on behalf of victims of “SIM swapping” cellphone hacks.

In a press release published Friday, the law firm stated that one client, an AT&T customer, had had over $621,000 of cryptocurrency stolen via a SIM swap attack. The firm further alleges that the breach occurred after AT&T “had assured him it had increased security on his account following an earlier attempted hack.”

Need a refresher on SIM swapping and mobile phone fraud? This read by Krebs on Security is a great primer that covers some solid tips and myths.

SPONSORED

In Case You Missed It: The Best Pot Stocks to Buy Before Full Legalization…

In a shocking turn of events, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner says, “Americans should go all in on weed”.

At the American Cannabis Summit (the first-ever nationwide event for cannabis investors) he revealed why he’s going ALL-IN on marijuana… and exactly how ordinary Americans can make a fortune from this hundred-billion-dollar industry.

To see a special rebroadcast of this historic event, click here.

This is a unique chance for you to get involved in America’s most controversial & lucrative industry…

It’s up to you.

Hurry and see what this breakthrough investment research could mean for you while you still can.

DEEP DIVE

Corporate America’s Blockchain and Bitcoin Fever is Over

The 2018 buzzword for public companies is dead. Mentions of “blockchain” in corporate earnings calls and presentations have fallen as much as 80% over the last three quarters.

At the peak earlier this year, “blockchain” was mentioned 173 times, according to an analysis of company transcripts by Axios, but the number has fallen to just 35 in November.

Hack(3)d

There’s been a bevy of crypto-jacking attacks over the past week. Let’s take a look at the ones that made headlines…

Hack #1: Hackers infect nearly 700,000 websites with Bitcoin-stealing malware (although the focus was just one exchange)
Hack #2: Canadian University shuts down its ENTIRE computer network to stop Bitcoin crypto-jackers
Hack #3: Verified Twitter accounts owned by Google, Target and more have become the latest to be hacked to host crypto “giveaway” scams

Crypto Market Cap: An In-Depth Review & Survey Of Emerging Alternatives

Talk about worlds colliding. The two great minds of Clay Collins (who we’ve sat down with before) and Nathanial Whittemore (must follow) worked together to create this monster write up on the most common metric in crypto… that’s also one of the most flawed.

As a crypto community, the better the metrics, the better the work we’ll do. 💪

REGULATORY FRONT

🏛️ The SEC Has Officially Taken Its First Enforcement Action Against a Crypto Exchange

In a regulatory action straight out of left field, the SEC has formally charged Zachary Coburn, the founder of EtherDelta, for operating an unregulated and unlicensed securities exchange.

If you are unaware, this comes as a pivotal move for the SEC as (1) it’s their first EVER direct action against an exchange and (2) EtherDelta is a decentralizedexchange that facilitates trading without a central party. It runs entirely on code, without a group or individual behind it, while centralized exchanges like Coinbase are run by individuals.

“The focus is not on the label you put on something or the technology you’re using. The focus is on the function, and what the platform is doing. Whether it’s decentralized or not, whether it’s on a smart contract or not, what matters is it’s an exchange.”

The biggest takeaway? This is likely the first of many SEC enforcement actions against crypto exchanges. But here’s our favorite lawyer Jake Chervinsky on the entire story, as there’s a lot more to unpack.

Analysis: The U.S. Has Seized Nearly 200,000 Bitcoins to Date, Global Confiscations Are Up to 453,000

One of the coolest things about Bitcoin is that it is censorship resistant… and that no central authority can confiscate your Bitcoin. The problem is, of course, the crypto community is faced with criminals who don’t really follow the best practices. And here are the results…

According to The Block’s findings, the total amount of seized bitcoins is now 1 out of every 40 — 2.6% of the circulating supply.